Before Arijit Singh wrote an apology letter to Salman Khan, Mohammed Rafi wrote one to Lata Mangeshkar.

On May 25, singer Arijit Singh removed his apology letter to Salman Khan from his Facebook account and replaced it with the message, “I hope he gets my letter through someway. Ps. This whole thing will backfire at me I know. Prayers.”

Singh seems to have had a premonition. Salman Khan remained silent, thus fuelling rumours that he was responsible for Singh's exclusion from a song in his upcoming film Sultan (2016) and his replacement with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Arijit Singh had taken to the social media platform to reach out to the star who reportedly felt slighted at the singer’s remarks at an awards function in 2014. Singh was receiving an award from Khan when he said, “Aap logon ne toh sula diya (You put us to sleep)” referring to the show’s hosts –Khan and Riteish Deshmukh. Khan retorted, “Aur isme humara koi dosh nahi hai, agar aise gaane bajte rahenge (And it’s not our fault if you sing like this). Salman Khan then went on to hum the tune of “Tum Hi Ho”, a popular song Singh had sung in Aashiqui 2 (2013).

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‘Tum Hi Ho’.

In his apology letter, Singh had requested Khan to retain the song he sang for Sultan. The issue brings to light the ability of superstars such as Khan to potentially derail the careers of those who have slighted them. Singh isn’t the only singer to have earned Khan’s ire. In 2014, Khan had a run-in with AR Rahman. He called Rahman an “average composer” at a music event. Rahman clarified that Khan’s statement was a joke, and said that he was offered to compose for Khan's films. Rahman hasn’t taken up the job yet.

In 2015, Sonu Nigam allegedly had a verbal spat with the temperamental Khan over singing credits. The actor told Nigam that he could do his own playback singing, and proved it with the auto-tuned “Main Hoon Hero Tera” for the film Hero (2015).

Not all singers submit to such bullying. Unlike Singh, who has been profusely apologising to Khan, singer Abhijeet vowed never to sing for Shah Rukh Khan after he was not featured in the credits of Om Shanti Om (2007). Ironically, Abhijeet had won his only Filmfare Best Male Playback award for the song “Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaon” in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Yes Boss (1997). Abhijeet is equally vocal in his tirade against Pakistani singers working in the Hindi film music industry, intemperately calling them “dengue artists”.

Performing artistes have also had their fair share of controversies with filmmakers and composers that have put a strain on their working relationship and hampered their collaborations. In 1996, singer Alisha Chinai accused music director Anu Malik of sexual harassment. In return, he filed a defamation suit against her. In 2003, the two reconciled and she sang “Chot Dil Pe Lagi” (Bruised in the heart) for him in the film Ishq Vishq. It was the salve they needed.

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‘Chot Dil Pe Lagi’.

For Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), director Karan Johar hired three music composers, Sandesh Shandilya, Aadesh Shrivastava and Jatin-Lalit. It was an unusual strategy at a time when multi-composer soundtracks were not the norm. Jatin-Lalit did not take kindly to the inclusion of other composers because they had previously scored Johar’s debut film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and delivered a resounding hit. The brothers expressed their displeasure and Johar declared he would never use them again.

Music director Ismail Darbar who won a National Film Award as Best Music Director for his very first score for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), had a fall-out with the filmmaker after the success of Devdas (2002). Darbar’s on-off comments about the filmmaker ensured that the two never worked again. Darbar’s music too has found few takers since, while Bhansali composed the music of his films Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ramleela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015).

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The title track ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’.

One singer-composer who has a love-hate relationship with several artistes in the music fraternity is Himesh Reshammiya. There is a laundry list of complaints to be read out. But nothing quite as delightful as the war of words over royalties between singers Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi in 1960. The incident is also mentioned in the book Mohammed Rafi: My Abba A Memoir written by Rafi’s daughter-in-law Yasmin Khalid Rafi.

The singing titans were present at a meeting where Lata Mangeshkar was campaigning for singers to receive royalty for their songs, she recalls in an interview. Rafi opposed the move. He said “Main aaj se Lata ke saath nahin gaoonga” (I will not sing with Lata henceforth). She replied, “Rafi saab, ek minute. Aap nahin gaayenge mere saath yeh galat baat hai. Main aapke saath nahin gaoongee. (You won’t sing with me is a wrong statement. I will not sing with you). Rafi wrote an apology letter and the duets resumed. Perhaps Arijit Singh retracted his apology letter just in time.

Why should inclusion matter to companies?

It's not just about goodwill - inclusivity is a good business decision.

To reach a 50-50 workplace scenario, policies on diversity need to be paired with a culture of inclusiveness. While diversity brings equal representation in meetings, board rooms, promotions and recruitment, inclusivity helps give voice to the people who might otherwise be marginalized or excluded. Inclusion at workplace can be seen in an environment that values diverse opinions, encourages collaboration and invites people to share their ideas and perspectives. As Verna Myers, a renowned diversity advocate, puts it “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Creating a sense of belonging for everyone is essential for a company’s success. Let’s look at some of the real benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace:

Better decision making

A whitepaper by Cloverpop, a decision making tool, established a direct link between inclusive decision making and better business performance. The research discovered that teams that followed an inclusive decision-making process made decisions 2X faster with half the meetings and delivered 60% better results. As per Harvard Business School Professor Francesca Gino, this report highlights how diversity and inclusion are practical tools to improve decision making in companies. According to her, changing the composition of decision making teams to include different perspectives can help individuals overcome biases that affect their decisions.

Higher job satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is connected to a workplace environment that values individual ideas and creates a sense of belonging for everyone. A research by Accenture identified 40 factors that influence advancement in the workplace. An empowering work environment where employees have the freedom to be creative, innovative and themselves at work, was identified as a key driver in improving employee advancement to senior levels.

Innovation

A research by Catalyst.org stated the in India, 62% of innovation is driven by employee perceptions of inclusion. The study included responses from 1,500 employees from Australia, China, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States and showed that employees who feel included are more likely to go above and beyond the call of duty, suggest new and innovative ways of getting work done.

Competitive Advantage

Shirley Engelmeier, author of ‘Inclusion: The New Competitive Business Advantage’, in her interview with Forbes, talks about the new global business normal. She points out that the rapidly changing customer base with different tastes and preferences need to feel represented by brands. An inclusive environment will future-proof the organisation to cater to the new global consumer language and give it a competitive edge.

An inclusive workplace ensures that no individual is disregarded because of their gender, race, disability, age or other social and cultural factors. Accenture has been a leading voice in advocating equal workplace. Having won several accolades including a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate equality index, Accenture has demonstrated inclusive and diverse practices not only within its organisation but also in business relationships through their Supplier Inclusion and Diversity program.

In a video titled ‘She rises’, Accenture captures the importance of implementing diverse policies and creating an inclusive workplace culture.